Why Can't I Focus: Unlocking ADHD

If you spend any time on social media, there seems to be a lot of posting about physical and/or

mental health and people also self-diagnosing because they think they have a particular issue.

Certainly, the internet is a good place to get information, but it can also create a lot of

confusion, questions, and concern for the rest us trying to navigate to the truth. I believe

mental health diagnoses can be even more nebulous and difficult to understand, because we all

deal with various forms of behaviors or stressors over our life span.

A common mental health diagnosis making the rounds on social media and one that many

people ask questions about is Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder or ADHD. ADHD is a

childhood onset diagnosis that has evolved over time and currently has various specified types.

ADHD combined type or ADHD inattentive type are probably the most diagnosed.

Basically, it means someone typically has ongoing struggles with focus, concentration,

forgetfulness, completing tasks, always on the go, can’t sit still, blurting out instead of waiting

their turn, low desire to do mentally stressful tasks, and fidgety. Just because someone has

some of these traits doesn’t automatically mean someone has ADHD, but it is important to get

feedback from people in multiple settings while collaborating with your doctor or mental health professional.

It is also important to remember we are all less focused than people years ago because of the

phones we are all connected to. Historically people did tedious tasks. It was routine to do

laborious tasks whether you lived on a farm, in a city, or on a ranch. Now machines and

computers do those tasks for us giving us more free time to do things we want. For many of

use that free time now includes our favorite electronic device. However, we are all less likely to

want to do a task when we are focused on playing a game on our phone or checking our social

media. Thus, don’t be surprised when you or your child are agitated when asked to put the

phone down and help around the house.

Likewise, consider how social media continues to shrink your attention span from YouTube all

the way to a short clip on Tik Tok. Most of us probably check a lot of the boxes for being

distracted and lacking focus on routine tasks due to our heavy exposure to electronics. The

bigger issue is what do you want to do about it. Do you just need to put your phone down or do

you need to go in for a formal evaluation from a doctor or mental health provider? Consider the

10 tips below to drill down on where your focus problems could be coming from.

1. Don’t Self Diagnosis yourself with ADHD. If you are really concerned for yourself or a

loved one, then go to your doctor or a mental health professional that can diagnosis

ADHD.

2. Usually, ADHD is diagnosed in children because the symptoms are usually very self-

evident and problematic for children in school. Thus, if you functioned okay as a kid

then you are probably functional as an adult. Sometimes, there are situations where

people slip through the cracks, however it is rare for an adult to just be presenting with

ADHD symptoms for the first time.

3. The symptoms must be evident in multiple settings not just at home. For example, the

school, daycare, or YMCA may all fill out screening tools along with your family member

that help clarify a potential ADHD diagnosis.

4. Screening tools need be used before an ADHD dx is valid. Your doctor or mental health

professional will give you a screening tool to fill out. You will also probably have to give

it to someone else who knows you in another setting like school or work. One of the

more popular tools is the Parent and Teacher Vanderbilts. Usually, there is a scoring

threshold that must be met before a diagnosis is true.

5. The symptoms must be present for a long period of time. We all have times where we

are distracted, or we are just fatigued and stressed. People with ADHD have a

neurological disorder that has been present since birth and typically requires

intervention.

6. Typical interventions for ADHD are both stimulant and non-stimulant medications

prescribed by your doctor. Talk therapy meant to work on impulsive behaviors and

better coping skills can be also helpful. Parent training and support can also be helpful

when parenting a child with ADHD.

7. Additional tips for parents that are struggling with a child that has ADHD can be giving

them outlets for energy including sports.

8. Improving your parenting skills and learning parenting techniques are important as well.

For example, having your child only do one task at a time or having them repeat back

instructions to check for comprehension can help when you have a distracted child.

9. Manage your screen time. Both adults and children tend to hyper focus that have ADHD,

which can often make distraction more problematic when not on a screen. Limiting the

amount of time on a screen or having a set time that screen time is allowed can be

beneficial.

10. Consider another cause if you feel the focus and concentration problems seem to be

new. For example, distraction and focus problems are also a symptom of depression.

--Jered Dane